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Ashtaa/Main article
Ashtaa is an elephant who makes her first and only appearance in The Elephant's Graveyard. Appearance Ashtaa is tall and large in comparison to the other elephants in her herd. Her skin is colored a light gold and her eyes are black. Personality Ashtaa is best known for her wisdom, kindness, and understanding of life. She has a calm and gentle demeanor, which helps aid her in raising her children to be gracious and open to helping others. Ashtaa is also very concerned about the well-being of others and can recognize different emotions among even those she hasn't known very long, such as Simba. Her only weakness, perhaps, is that she overlooks her son because she is too focused on guiding her daughter. But by the end of the story, she expresses the love she shares for both her children, and eventually for her newborn son, who continues the never-ending cycle of life and death. The Elephant's Graveyard When Belee, Ashtaa's daughter, loses her herd, she runs into Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa. As Belee explains about life in an elephant herd, she mentions that her mother, Ashtaa, is leader of the herd. Not long after this, Timon finds himself wrapped in an elephant trunk. At first, he thinks it's an eagle, but after hearing Pumbaa and Simba's laughter, he realizes that it's just an elephant. At the same moment, Belee cries out in delight that her mother has found them! Ashtaa gently sets Timon on the ground and embraces her daughter. Belee explains to her mother all that has happened to her and her new friends, and Ashtaa thanks Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa profusely, offering them a place to stay in the herd. All the elephants rejoice at Belee's return except Harak, who is jealous of Belee for getting all of Ashtaa's attention. But despite this, the herd moves out, and Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa walk at the head with Ashtaa and Belee. When the herd stops at a waterhole to drink, Ashtaa forgets that she has Timon as a passenger and accidentally sprays him with water. He quickly slips off her back and decides to walk the rest of the journey. As the elephants finish bathing, Ashtaa pulls Simba aside and asks him why he is so far from home. Though he is saddened at memories of his life in the Pride Lands, Simba explains that Timon and Pumbaa were his family now. Ashtaa asks if he had any siblings who would miss him, but Simba explains that he only had his best friend, Nala. Intent on changing the subject, he asks Ashtaa where the herd is headed and why it's so secret. Ashtaa comments that Simba is just like Belee: full of questions. She then goes on to explain that they were going to an "elephants' graveyard." Simba is frightened and asks whether they were all going to die, but Ashtaa points to an old female elephant, her Aunt Darann, and explains that she needed to reach their destination before it was too late. Simba is confused and asks Ashtaa why Darann wanted to die and if she would be sad once she was gone. Ashtaa exclaims that of course she would be sad, but all living creatures needed to accept their fate. The next day, Ashtaa and her herd reach the elephant graveyard. As Darann leans down among the skeletons, Ashtaa tells Belee and Simba that she would remain with her aunt until her time came. She then tells the children to have fun and that she would call them when it was time to go. But when Simba is playing hide-and-seek with his friends, he overhears Harak plotting with Claws the eagle, who is planning to distract Ashtaa while Harak leads Belee away and traps her in a pile of bones. Ashtaa will think Belee is playing with her friends, so when she goes missing, all her love will return to Harak! As the plan goes underway, Claws swoops down on the dying Darann. Ashtaa and her herd are distracted as they try to protect the old elephant from the eagle. But after the plan initially fails and Belee and Simba are trapped beneath a pile of elephant bones, Harak realizes that he was wrong to be jealous of his sister. But to everyone's surprise, Belee and Simba pop out of the elephant bones, perfectly okay. After hearing everything that has happened, Ashtaa thanks Simba for protecting Belee. She then turns to Harak and tells him that she loves him just as much as she loves Belee. She reminds him that Belee is young and needs guidance; that is why she got more attention from Ashtaa. It did not mean that she was loved more. Harak accepts what his mother tells him and vows to never be jealous of his sister again. The elephants and their friends return to Darann, who has finally let life go. Simba is sad, but Ashtaa tells him that it was her time and she was at peace now. The elephants then leave the graveyard and journey back to their home across the grasslands. On the way, Ashtaa gives birth to a baby son. She explains to Simba that life and death is an ever-turning circle and if you didn't live life to the fullest, it would be wasted. Before leaving, Simba tells Ashtaa that he wanted to be as wise as her when he grows up. As the lion cub scampers away, Ashtaa smiles and says, "I'm sure you will." References Category:Animals Category:Book/Comic Only Characters Category:Characters Category:Elephants Category:Female Characters